Foldable iPhone May Not Come in Black, Leaker Suggests

Apple has yet to finalize whether its upcoming foldable iPhone will be available in black, according to a questionable new rumor.

The Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital" commented today that Apple "hasn't even decided yet whether the foldable screen will come in black," adding pointedly: "Do they have a vendetta against the color black?" The remark suggests black is at least under consideration, but has not been confirmed as part of the lineup, a notably open question for a device that is expected to enter mass production imminently and launch as soon as September.

In February, the leaker described the device as coming in just two color options, with white as the only confirmed shade and the second unspecified. Instant Digital revisited that report in May without walking back any color details, keeping the two-option account intact. Today's comment does not necessarily contradict that, but introduces new uncertainty about what the second option actually is.

Separately, Macworld cited a supply chain source claiming the second finish will be an indigo option similar to the iPhone 17 Pro's Deep Blue, alongside a classic silver and white model. That source also said the device will offer fewer choices than the iPhone 18 Pro models, with no bold or vibrant colors. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman similarly reported that Apple plans to "stay away from fun colors" and stick to more traditional silver/white and space gray/black finishes.

Samsung Display's OLED panels for the device are already entering mass production, and ramp-up is underway. Color decisions typically feed directly into manufacturing and component procurement, all of which needs to be locked well in advance of launch. For a device as complex and supply-constrained as the foldable iPhone is expected to be, any severe late-stage indecision seems unlikely, so the rumor may simply indicate some opaqueness in the supply chain about the second color.

That being said, dummy models that have surfaced so far have only been seen in white. It is also worth noting that new high-end products such as the Apple Watch Ultra and Vision Pro only launched with one color option.

A limited color offering may partly reflect the practical realities of manufacturing the device at all. Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has warned that early-stage yield and ramp-up challenges could constrain supply through at least the end of 2026, and that the frequently cited figure of 15 to 20 million units likely reflects cumulative demand across the product's full two to three year lifecycle, not 2026 alone. Adding color variants increases the number of SKUs to produce, stock, and allocate, which is a complication Apple has little commercial incentive to absorb when launch supply is expected to be tight regardless.

The approach would be broadly consistent with how Apple has handled generationally significant launches before. The iPhone X debuted in November 2017 in just two colors, Silver and Space Gray, at a then-record starting price of $999. The iPhone XS that followed a year later added Gold to the lineup, and Apple may take the same incremental approach with the iPhone Ultra over time.

At a starting price that Gurman says will "cross the $2,000 threshold", the foldable iPhone is unlikely to attract buyers whose purchasing decision is heavily determined by color options. That gives Apple room to keep the initial palette narrow.

The first foldable iPhone is expected to be announced in September 2026 alongside the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max.